Cigarettes



United States Patent Inventor Mortimer Russel Dock 26 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10004 Appl. No. 797,154

Filed Feb. 6, 1969 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 CIGARETTES 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 131/9,

Int. Cl A24d 01/02 Field ofSearch ..131/9, 10.3, 67,68,69, 198, 15B; 229/80 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1890 Kinney (131/8UX) 7/1930 Kean v.(131/15(B)UX) 10/1962 Bugge... 131/9 3/1966 Molins ..(.131/20(A)UX) 10/1967 Agett et a1. (131/9UX) 12/1967 Greason 229/80X Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant Examiner-James H. Czerwonky PATENTEU DEC] 5 I970 INVENTOR MORTIMER RUSSELL DOCK /ZzzA/&M

CIGARETTES This invention provides a new means for rarefication of the smoke of cigarettes, to provide a cooler, lighter, more flavorful smoke.

Many structures have heretofore been proposed to achieve this result, but most have been found ineffective and none has been found fully desirable. It is believed that the present structure overcomes objections to previously proposed inventions, and that it meets a clearly definable need.

In the present invention it is proposed that longitudinal openings be provided in the wrapper of the cigarette along a line defining the outermost end of the radius thereof at the point where the edges of the wrapper overlap. These openings permit the intake of air which is mixed with the smoke of the burning tobacco, causing the smoke to be rarefied as it is drawn toward the mouth of the smoker. The rarefied smoke causes a lesser amount of combustion products to be deposited upon the unburned tobacco as the smoke is drawn therethrough. In conventional cigarettes, such combustion products in the form of particulate matter coat the tobacco and such products in gaseous form permeate the tobacco leaf or fiber, creating an adverse effect upon the flavor of the smoke as the latter portion of the cigarette is burned.

The openings of the present invention are created by inter mittent sealing of the wrapper upon fabrication of the cigarette, thus creating-alternating areas of sealing and nonsealing of the wrapper. The diaphragm action of the wrapper at the nonsealed points causes the inner edge of the wrapper to be retracted upon inhalation by the smoker, while upon free burning and particularly upon exhalation, a reverse diaphragm action closes the openings by forcing the inner edge of the wrapper into closer proximity to the outer edge, causing substantial closure of said openings.

With the foregoing explanation in mind, reference should now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette having alternating openings along the line of sealing of the wrapper;

FIG. 2 is a view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing one portion of the wrapper where sealing has been effected;

FIG. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the wrapper at a nonsealed point, with the two edges of the wrapper overlapped.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. I a cigarette 10 is shown with tobacco l1 enclosed by wrapper l2, and edge 13 overlapping edge 14 of said wrapper, with nonsealed portions 15,15 of said wrapper alternating between sealed portions 16,16. The sealed portions extend across the whole width of the overlap, as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows the point of sealing 17 of one of said sealed portions; and

FIG. 3 shows an opening 18 created by one of the nonsealed portions of the wrapper.

The advantages of this structure are readily understood: While a free intake is permitted, the overlapping of the walls of the wrapper at the openings makes it difficult to detect the presence thereof, either by visual examination of the wrapper or by the escape of smoke upon exhalation or free burning of the cigarette.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention as shown and described herein may be taken as a preferred example of the same.

lclaim:

l. A cigarette comprising a body of tobacco and a wrapper, said wrapper being in the form of a sheet having the edges thereof longitudinally overlapped, and having in said overlapping edges longitudinally spaced sealing means forming alternate spaced areas sealed across the whole width of said overlap, and other areas being unsealed, to create pockets permitting the passage of air therethrough.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said alternate sealed and unsealed portions of said overlapping edges provide a diaphragm action for alternate opening and closing of said unsealed portions upon inhalation and exhalation by the smoker. 

